


Too Close

by hufflepuff_hipster



Category: RandL - Fandom, Rhett & Link, rhink - Fandom
Genre: Angst, Best Friends, Betrayal, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Face Punching, Family, Family Drama, Father-Daughter Relationship, Father-Son Relationship, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Friendship, Hugs, M/M, Platonic Life Partners, book throwing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-18
Updated: 2017-03-18
Packaged: 2018-10-07 04:20:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,252
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10352130
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hufflepuff_hipster/pseuds/hufflepuff_hipster
Summary: They've always been close, but now Rhett and Link struggle to cope with the fact that their families are merging together. Lots of drama and angst. Link is an over-protective father and Rhett is amused. (Possible chapter continuation if this is well-received!)P.S. This is meant to take place a few years in the future.





	

Rhett was sitting comfortably on the couch in their office one afternoon when the phone in his jeans pocket buzzed. He was alarmed at first when he saw the length of the text and immediately knew that something must have happened at home. Upon reading the whole message, his heart began pounding in his ears as everything around him seemed to stop.

 _Oh god… What?! This can’t be happening. That just seems so wrong! How…?_ Rhett’s tired brain struggled to process the overwhelming flood of different emotions.

Just then, Link strolled into the office, his laptop underneath his arm. “Hey,” he said casually, sitting down at his desk and opening his computer to begin checking some emails. When Rhett didn’t say anything in response or even acknowledge his existence, Link glanced back over at him.

“What’s wrong?” Link asked, knowing something must be up since Rhett had suddenly gone pale and wide-eyed.

“Um, what? No…nothing’s wrong. I’m fine,” said Rhett. He slid the phone back into his pocket and stared hard at his laptop screen, looking but not really seeing anything.

“Dude, you look like you’ve just seen a ghost. Tell me what’s wrong,” Link said with a smirk. He figured it must have something to do with work, since sometimes Rhett was put off by Link’s decisions. _The big lug could be so touchy sometimes._ “Is it what I said earlier? About the script still needing to be revised?”

Rhett sighed. _When Link hears about this, he’s going to freak out. But if I don’t tell him now, he’s just going to go home and find out eventually from his wife, and then he’ll be angry around his family. Better just let him be angry about it now with me so that he doesn’t lash out at anyone else… But god, this is so incredibly awkward…Why me?!_

“Hellooooo, Earth to Rhett. Come in, Rhett.” Link stood up from his desk and sat down next to Rhett on the couch, who turned to face him with a stern look.

“Link,” he began, “I’m going to tell you something that Jessie just told me, but you have to promise that you aren’t going to flip out when I tell you, alright?”

Link’s face fell from a smile to a look of worry. Hearing that, he assumed the worst. “Why? Did something happen?”

Rhett rested his face in his hands, looking down at his lap. _Oh lord, how do I say this?_

Link was starting to panic now, seeing how Rhett was behaving, as if a terrible accident had happened. “What? Come on, spit it out, man!”

Rhett looked up at him, still the same stern look in his eyes. Better just get it out there now. “Well apparently, ah…Jessie came home from work early today, and uh…well, she went upstairs…to change out of her work clothes…and she went to see if Locke was home from diving practice yet…and he was. But um…” Rhett was beginning to buckle under the pressure. He could barely even comprehend it himself, it was so strange.

“But what?” Link’s eyes were darting back and forth across Rhett’s face, searching for answers.

Rhett cleared his throat awkwardly and looked away. “Well, Lily was there…with Locke. And they were sort of…together…” Rhett buried his face in his hands again. “Like, together…in the bed.”

Rhett couldn’t bear to look Link in the eye, but suddenly felt Link’s hand on his knee. He could see that the knuckles were white as he gripped him tightly. Without even looking at the man, he could tell that the mood had shifted drastically.

Very slowly, Rhett lifted his head and chanced a look over at Link, who stared at him open-mouthed. Link looked past Rhett, as if he didn’t even see him anymore.

“Are you serious right now?” Link’s eyes snapped back onto Rhett’s face, oddly calm.

Rhett felt frozen still as he gazed back into those tumultuous blue eyes. “Yeah, that’s what she told me.” In an attempt to lighten the mood a little, he feigned a laugh. “C-crazy, right?”

They stayed like that for a moment, just staring at each other, not knowing what to do or say.

“YOU SON OF A BITCH!” Link reeled back and punched Rhett clear across the side of the face. The taller man crumpled into a heap and rolled off the couch onto the floor, clutching the side of his face. His nose was not hit, but his jaw and cheekbone were on fire.

“Ow, fuck!” yelled Rhett. Link was on top of him now, and Rhett flinched back, afraid that Link was about to start punching him some more. Instead, the shorter man grabbed him by the shoulders in an attempt to shake him around like some kind of rabid dog, but it wasn’t very affective since Rhett was so heavy.

“This is all your fault!” Link screamed. He didn’t really pay attention to what he was saying anymore; it just felt good to fight someone right now. He was seeing red.

“How is it my fault?!” Rhett yelled back, still clutching the side of his face in pain. One of his ears was ringing from the impact of the blow.

“You…You…!” Link shoved off of him and stood up. He began pacing around the room with his hands on his hips. “Locke is YOUR son!”

Rhett sat up, and now it was his turn to be angry. “Hey! How do you know this was even his idea? It could have just as easily been Lily’s fault that this happened!” He stood up, feeling kind of wobbly. “It takes two to tango, buddy!”

Link was immediately back in his face, his chest puffed out and bumping against Rhett’s. Rhett stood his ground, ready to take another punch if necessary.

“DON’T YOU EVER SAY THAT ABOUT LILY!” Link boomed louder than Rhett had ever heard him before, and he had to admit that it was actually pretty terrifying. They had been in heated arguments before, but that was nothing compared to this display. Link thought he was protecting his daughter, his own flesh and blood, his firstborn, his one and only sweet little girl. “HOW DARE YOU EVEN SAY THAT!”

“What, you think Locke isn’t good enough for her or something?!” Rhett retorted, now feeling hurt by his lifelong friend’s words.

Link pulled away, throwing his hands up in the air as if there was nothing more to be said. He walked over to a bookshelf and pressed his palms against the wood, leaning forward and staring at the floor. It was quiet for a bit while each of them thought in solitude.

Rhett was the first to approach the other, walking up behind his friend and speaking calmly. “Look…I know this is a strange turn of events. But if you think about it, it’s not that unbelievable.”

Link spun around, an incredulous look on his face. “Excuse me?”

“I’m just saying,” said Rhett, “we’ve been best friends for almost our whole lives. Our families know each other really well…” Link huffed, but Rhett continued. “They’re young! They’re teenagers, their hormones are raging around. This was bound to happen at some point!”

“That’s why it’s weird, Rhett!” Link was exasperated. “We’ve raised our families so close together, it’s like they’re brother and sister. It’s borderline incest! I can’t…we can’t have our kids mixing together like this. It’s just wrong!”

Rhett rolled his eyes. “Well we aren’t actually related, so I wouldn’t call it incest. Let’s calm down and call it what it is, okay? They were best friends growing up and now they’re…well, they’re more than friends.” He gave a little smile to himself, finding the wording amusing.

“Oh god,” Link whined, turning away. “Don’t say that. Not Lily.”

Rhett was still smiling. “What? It’s kind of cute, actually. Isn’t it?”

“No, Rhett! It’s not cute! Your son was screwing my daughter today!! In what alternative universe is that considered ‘cute’?! Do you realize how awkward this is for me?!”

“Well we don’t actually know if today was the only time they did it. It’s most likely been going on for a while right under our noses and we’re just now finding out about it.” Rhett knew he was making it worse, but he couldn’t help but find the situation just a little bit funny.

Link turned to face him again, this time with a sad, pleading look in his eyes. “Oh god, don’t even say that…” he said. He fell forward and smacked into Rhett, leaning against his chest.

“Oh wait, so you’re not going to hit me again?” Rhett asked bitterly.

“I’m sorry, Rhett,” said Link, his voice muffled pathetically into Rhett’s plaid shirt. He looked up at Rhett with tears forming in his sapphire eyes. “I’m just...I don’t know. I was mad. I’m sorry.”

Rhett looked down at his best friend who was standing there against him getting all misty-eyed after having just punched him only minutes ago. This little boy who he had known since first grade but was now this big, determined, protective father. He knew that deep down Link wasn’t actually mad at him, and that he hadn’t meant everything that he had screamed at him. No, Link was afraid. Afraid of his daughter growing up. Afraid of this being the beginning of all of his kids growing up and not needing him and leaving the house. Afraid of getting old and being alone. Afraid of losing this sweet, innocent young person who he would give his life for if it could prevent her from getting hurt by the cruelties of the world. He knew Link didn’t hate Locke. Link actually loved Locke, not just because he had watched him grow up like he was another son, but also because Locke was half Rhett. Yes, it was a little shocking for two of their kids to be starting a romantic relationship with each other. But at the same time, it was the most natural thing in the world. Since he and Link were best friends, who’s to say that if one of them was of the opposite sex they wouldn’t be in love with each other?

At that thought, Rhett drew his arms around Link in an embrace. “I know it’s a lot to take in. I guess I’m sorry too.”

Link was calming down significantly with Rhett’s arms around him. His breathing began to slow. “No, no, you don’t have anything to be sorry for.” After a pause, he chuckled. “I’m the one who should be sorry. I had no reason to be mad at you. You’re not Locke.”

Rhett relinquished his hug. “Woah woah woah, are you saying you’re going to be mad at Locke now?”

Link wiped his nose on his jacket sleeve. “Well yeah, Rhett. At least for a little while. Give me a freaking break.” He cleared his throat, a thought suddenly occurring to him. “And if Locke EVER gives me a good reason to actually hate him…if he HURTS Lily, I swear to god Rhett, I will END YOU.” He poked a hard finger into Rhett’s chest, which did not give whatsoever.

Rhett raised his eyebrow. “Dude, okay, I get it. I’ll have a talk with him, alright?”

“Oh you better!” Link retorted.

Rhett shook his head and laughed, beginning to walk away. He figured this conversation was about to come to a close. He would go home and talk to Locke. For one thing, he had to make sure the two of them were at least being safe and using protection…

He just couldn’t resist the temptation to say something snarky. “Wouldn’t want our bloodlines to actually mix or anything, accidentally. A McLaughlin-Neal. Now THAT would be weird.” Rhett chuckled, checking over his shoulder to see if Link would react.

Rhett’s turning head was met with a book being hurled at him. Luckily it was the side that hadn’t been punched.

“Oof!” Rhett staggered, darting out of the office as Link chased him away. “Okay I get it, you need time to cool off! Don’t throw things, man!”

“Get the hell away from me!” Link roared, then slammed the office door shut after Rhett was long gone.

 

Rhett walked haphazardly into the office kitchen down the hall. He realized there was some blood dripping onto the floor from where the book had collided with his temple and he felt a little dizzy.

“Oh my god, Rhett! Are you okay?!” It was Jen, who had been sitting on a kitchen stool sipping some tea. She jumped up and got a paper towel to give to her boss to hold to his temple.

“Thanks,” Rhett managed.

“What the hell happened?” Jen asked, clearly alarmed. “I mean I know you and Link argue sometimes, but did he really do that?!”

Rhett nodded, sitting down on a kitchen stool.

“Why?” asked Jen, bewildered.

Rhett thought for a moment. “Well, Link and I are very close. But sometimes…we’re a little too close.”

Jen raised an eyebrow. “Well maybe you should give him some space.”

Rhett laughed, thinking about how his and Link’s lives were ridiculously, irreversibly intertwined in so many ways. How he wouldn’t have it any other way. The family they had created here in L.A. together was forever growing and evolving, thriving. It was a beautiful thing. Link just needed some time to see that.

“Yeah, maybe I should.”


End file.
